Supply system for agricultural equipment

Abstract

A supply system for use with agricultural equipment includes a storage system, a metering system, and a distribution system. The storage system holds dry granules therein. The metering system is configured to meter the dry granules at a determined rate. The distribution system includes a conduit coupled with the manifold to receive the dry granules therefrom and a plurality of outlet tubes in fluid communication with the conduit to direct the dry granules toward a receiver unit at the determined rate.

1 . A supply system for use with agricultural equipment, the supply system comprising
 a storage system configured to hold dry granules therein,   a metering system configured to meter the dry granules at a predetermined rate, the metering system including a canister coupled with the storage system to receive the dry granules therefrom, a manifold coupled with the canister to direct the dry granules away from the canister, and a metering screw arranged in the manifold and configured to rotate about a screw axis to selectively control the predetermined rate of the dry granules entering the manifold from the canister, and   a distribution system including a conduit coupled with the manifold to receive the dry granules therefrom and to transport the dry granules away from the manifold and a plurality of outlet tubes in fluid communication with the conduit to direct the dry granules toward a receiver unit at the predetermined rate.   
     
     
         2 . The supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the metering system further includes a motor configured to drive rotation of the metering screw about the screw axis. 
     
     
         3 . The supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the manifold of the metering system includes an inlet coupled with the canister and an outlet coupled with the conduit of the distribution system, and wherein the metering screw is located within the manifold between the inlet and the outlet. 
     
     
         4 . The supply system of  claim 3 , wherein the metering system further includes an agitator arranged in the canister and configured to rotate about an agitator axis to agitate the dry granules therein. 
     
     
         5 . The supply system of  claim 3 , wherein the conduit includes a horizontal portion extending between a first end and a second end thereof and a vertical portion extending between a first end and a second end thereof, and wherein the outlet of the manifold of the metering system is coupled to the horizontal portion between the first end and second end thereof and the first end of the vertical portion is coupled with the second end of the horizontal portion to extend upwardly therefrom. 
     
     
         6 . The supply system of  claim 5 , wherein the distribution system further includes an air supply unit coupled to the first end of the horizontal portion of the conduit and configured to direct pressurized air through the conduit to carry the dry granules through the conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The supply system of  claim 6 , wherein the distribution system further includes an impeller unit coupled to the second end of the vertical portion of the conduit and configured to direct the dry granules into the plurality of outlet tubes, and wherein the impeller unit includes an impeller that rotates about an impeller axis and a body configured to receive the impeller therein, and the impeller is driven to rotate about the impeller axis by the pressurized air from the air supply unit. 
     
     
         8 . The supply system of  claim 7 , wherein the impeller unit further includes a plurality of nozzles coupled to the body circumferentially about the impeller axis, and wherein each of the plurality of nozzles is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of outlet tubes. 
     
     
         9 . The supply system of  claim 1 , further comprising a housing shaped to define an interior space therein, and wherein the metering system is located entirely within the interior space of the housing, the conduit of the distribution system is at least partially located within the interior space of the housing, and the plurality of outlet tubes are located entirely outside of the housing. 
     
     
         10 . The supply system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage system includes a first storage unit and a second storage unit, and the dry granules include a first type of dry granules located in the first storage unit and a second type of dry granules different than the first type of dry granules located in the second storage unit, and wherein the canister of the metering system is a first canister coupled with the first storage unit, the metering screw of the metering system is a first metering screw, and the predetermined rate is a first predetermined rate of the first type of dry granules entering the manifold from the first canister, and wherein the supply system further comprises a second canister coupled with the second storage unit and a second metering screw arranged in the manifold and configured to rotate about the screw axis to selectively control a second predetermined rate of the second type of dry granules entering the manifold from the second canister. 
     
     
         11 . A method of metering dry granules from a supply system, the method comprising
 storing dry granules in a storage system,   directing the dry granules from the storage system to a canister of a metering system,   rotating a metering screw of the metering system at a first rotational speed,   metering the dry granules from the canister to a conduit of a distribution system at a first predetermined rate in response to rotation of the metering screw at the first rotational speed,   directing the dry granules through the conduit and into an impeller unit via pressurized or vacuumed air,   rotating an impeller of the impeller unit via the pressurized or vacuumed air,   directing the dry granules into a plurality of outlet tubes in response to rotation of the impeller, and   applying the dry granules to a receiver unit from the plurality of outlet tubes at the first predetermined rate.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising adjusting a speed of the metering screw so that the metering screw rotates at a second rotational speed different than the first rotational speed, and, in response to adjusting the speed of the metering screw to the second rotational speed, metering the dry granules from the canister to the conduit of the distribution system at a second predetermined rate different than the first predetermined rate. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising monitoring a temperature within a housing of the supply system and comparing the monitored temperature within the housing of the supply system to a target temperature, the target temperature based, at least in part, on a type of the dry granules. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising, in response to the monitored temperature being different than the target temperature, regulating the temperature within a housing of the supply system. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the storage system includes a first storage unit and a second storage unit, and wherein the step of storing dry granules in a storage system includes storing a first type of dry granules in the first storage unit and storing a second type of dry granules different than the first type of dry granules in the second storage unit. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the canister is a first canister coupled with the first storage unit and the metering system includes a second canister coupled with the second storage unit, and wherein the step of directing the dry granules from the storage system to a canister of a metering system includes directing the first type of dry granules from the first storage unit to the first canister and directing the second type of dry granules from the second storage unit to the second canister. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the metering screw is a first metering screw, and wherein the method further comprises rotating a second metering screw of the metering system at a second rotational speed and metering the second type of dry granules from the second canister to the conduit at a second predetermined rate in response to rotation of the second metering screw at the second rotational speed. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the first predetermined rate is different than the second predetermined rate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising stopping rotation of the second metering screw in response to the supply system moving from a first zone of a field to a second zone of the field and maintaining rotation of the first metering screw at the first rotational speed. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising rotating an agitator located within the canister to agitate the dry granules therein.